# Stellar Mercenaries vs Ballpins

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Stellar Mercenaries at 86% against Ballpins's 0%. Stellar Mercenaries also leads on ratings volume (38 vs 2). Ballpins's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Stellar Mercenaries sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Ballpins asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ballpins holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stellar Mercenaries has 38 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Stellar Mercenaries's written reviews are positive against 0% of Ballpins's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Stellar Mercenaries ships an update every 3 weeks, Ballpins every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stellar Mercenaries | Ballpins |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stellar-mercenaries/id6446969323/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ballpins/id6590630859/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **38** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **85.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 198 MB | 121 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Quest Builders LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679888919) | [Shahar Galukman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1760147031) |

## What reviewers say

### Stellar Mercenaries

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stellar-mercenaries/id6446969323)

Engage in offline, vertical scrolling arcade action with this sci-fi RPG. Upgrade your ship, weapons, and abilities to battle rival mercenaries and conquer the solar system. Enjoy endless procedurally generated missions with diverse objectives and challenges.

**Highlights:** Vertical scrolling arcade shooter, Offline capable gameplay, Upgradable ships and weapons, Customizable loadouts, Procedurally generated missions, Rival mercenary system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Currency - Small Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack - Basic | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack - Small | $2.99 | one-time |
| Currency - Medium Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Stater Pack - Advanced | $5.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack - Medium | $7.99 | one-time |
| Currency - Large Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Gem Pack - Large | $15.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack - Legendary | $15.99 | one-time |


### Ballpins

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ballpins/id6590630859)

Experience a Zen-inspired Plinko game that blends relaxing visuals with thrilling unpredictability. Watch balls cascade, activate power-ups, and build your score in this tranquil yet captivating experience.

**Highlights:** Zen Mode with soothing visuals and sounds, Roguelike elements for strategic choices, Offline play for anytime, anywhere access, Relaxing atmosphere to unwind, Lucky Day for thrilling chance-based gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stellar Mercenaries free?

Stellar Mercenaries is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ballpins free?

Ballpins is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Stellar Mercenaries or Ballpins?

Ballpins is rated higher. Stellar Mercenaries averages 4.8 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while Ballpins averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Stellar Mercenaries or Ballpins have ads?

Neither Stellar Mercenaries nor Ballpins shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stellar Mercenaries or Ballpins?

Stellar Mercenaries ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ballpins every 2 days. Most recently, Stellar Mercenaries was updated on November 3, 2026 and Ballpins on November 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*